The special prosecutor team led by Cho Eunseok, which is investigating allegations of insurrection and treason related to the 12·3 Martial Law Incident, has launched a compulsory investigation into Cho Taeyong, former director of the National Intelligence Service.
Cho Taeyong, former director of the National Intelligence Service, is appearing as a witness and responding at the Constitutional Court. Photo by Yonhap News
On July 16, special prosecutor Park Jiyoung stated at a briefing, "Starting from 7 a.m. today, we have been conducting searches and seizures at eight locations, including the residence of former director Cho, in connection with the destruction of evidence following the insurrection."
According to the special prosecutor, former director Cho is suspected of being involved in the remote deletion of classified phone data belonging to former president Yoon Sukyeol, former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jangwon, and others after the declaration of martial law.
The classified phones of these individuals were remotely logged out on December 6, three days after the martial law incident. Remote logout means that communication records and other data were deleted, effectively resetting the devices.
At the time, former deputy director Hong met with both ruling and opposition lawmakers from the National Assembly Intelligence Committee and revealed the screen of his classified phone containing call records with former president Yoon. The records showed multiple calls with former president Yoon before and after the declaration of martial law. Immediately after the call records were disclosed, the National Intelligence Service conveyed to the Presidential Security Service that security measures were necessary, and the deletion of the classified phones was carried out.
The special prosecutor team also detected that former director Cho had a phone call with Park Jongjun, former chief of the Presidential Security Service, before the classified phone call records were deleted, and therefore included Park's residence among the search and seizure targets.
The special prosecutor team is reportedly investigating the possibility that former president Yoon directly instructed former director Cho to destroy evidence in preparation for an investigation following the revelations by former deputy director Hong.
After reviewing the materials obtained from the searches, the special prosecutor team plans to summon former director Cho to question him about the reasons for the deletion of the classified phones and whether the order came from former president Yoon.
Previously, former director Cho was also subject to a search and seizure by the special prosecutor team investigating the death of Marine Lee Myunghyun, in connection with suspicions that he attended the so-called "VIP Rage Meeting." Special prosecutor Park explained that the current search and seizure was conducted on items not previously seized by the Marine special prosecutor team.
The special prosecutor team also explained that, with regard to former president Yoon, they have decided to prohibit visits with the suspect except for family members and legal counsel until indictment, and have instructed the head of Seoul Detention Center accordingly.
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